Cauliflower - A McRoll in the REAL World story
by Mari217
Summary: Steve doesn't have dinner on his mind when he makes a produce purchase.


_Sammy & Ilna you are the best! Sammy thanks for the entire Danny exchange idea and Ilna for the scene wrap line. Love you guys!_

 _REALMcRollers thanks again for the wonderful feedback and support. Nonna hugs to all._

* * *

 **Cauliflower**

Steve lifted two nearly identical items and placed them on the produce scale one at a time. He checked the weights, replaced one and held the other. Carefully evaluating it in first one then both his hands he contemplated the size and heft with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Hey." Danny stood at the entrance to the produce isle and called his partner's name for the second time. "Steve!"

Turning to see his best friend, he bagged the object he was holding, added a head of romaine lettuce and asked, "What?"

" _What_ , what? I called you twice. You were studying that cauliflower like you were Indiana Jones with the grail."

Steve made a scoffing sound. "I was not."

"You were staring at it like you'd never seen one before." He gestured towards the checkout area. "C'mon, time to get home to your wife." Steve's automatic smile at the term always made Danny grin. "So, does Catherine have a craving for cauliflower today?" he asked as they made their way to the cashier.

Steve smiled to himself. "Not exactly."

* * *

Catherine watched Steve from the kitchen doorway as he slid a pan into the oven and moved to the sink where his body blocked her line of view.

She'd worked ten to six - altered hours that day because they were waiting out a vote - and he'd gotten home first. When she arrived, he'd popped his head into the living room, told her he and Cammie had dinner underway and to relax a few minutes, so she'd taken him up on the offer.

Freshly showered and changed into sleep shorts and a comfy top, she'd moved into the kitchen to join him, but indulged in a minute of watching him work. He looked happy. Happy and as content as she'd ever seen him as he moved around the room they'd designed and built together. She couldn't help the beautiful smile that graced her features and caused her eyes to sparkle as her hand absently drifted over her belly.

Although peripherally aware of her presence, Steve didn't turn. He'd stopped moving and was regarding something he was holding - either lost in thought or contemplating what was in his hand.

As Catherine walked further into the room she saw it was a head of cauliflower. The way he was staring at it made her smile quizzically as she approached and wrapped her arms around him from behind, briefly placing her head against his back.

"So, good day?" He turned in her arms and kissed her hello.

"Great day, vote was in our favor," she said. "What 'cha making?"

"Congratulations." He indicated the oven with a chin tilt. "Mango chicken."

"Oooh yum. Thanks."

"I stopped at Jirou's with Danny on the way back to HQ. Gracie's making cupcakes for a bake sale tomorrow. Jirou had the fresh mango salsa today so I got a quart." As if he realized he was still holding it, he placed the cauliflower on the counter behind him and swayed her a bit in his embrace.

"I can melt some cheese for that and we can bake it with a garlic drizzle if you want." She indicated the cauliflower, which she didn't remember Steve ever particularly liking.

"No need, I got that three bean salad you like. I wasn't planning on making cauliflower, but I saw it in the store and …" his voice trailed off into a grin.

"... and?" She led, her head tilted in question.

He picked it up again, passing it to her. "Niblet's that big."

"So you _bought_ it?" She broke into a beaming smile.

He shrugged and nodded. "Yeah. The book says, _at 27 weeks, the baby's about the size of a head of cauliflower. She weighs almost 2 pounds and measures about fourteen and a half inches,"_ he recited from memory.

"How do you know this is 2 pounds - wait, you weighed it, didn't you?"

"Of course I weighed it. It's one pound fourteen ounces," he said it so matter-of-factly she couldn't resist and leaned up to kiss him.

"Oh my God, you're ador … ha! Feel." She placed his hand on her tummy. "I was gonna say you're adorable, and as much as you hate that description, Commander, your daughter clearly agrees."

His eyes held the same look they always did when he felt the baby move. "She can call me that." His grin was huge.

She chuckled. "I have a feeling she can call you anything she wants."

"Absolutely. Just like her mommy." He nodded while addressing Catherine's tummy. "Although I can't wait to hear you say your first word." His eyes met hers. "According to the book, most babies say a few words by the end of 12 months, but Elizabeth said you spoke your first word early, so I bet Niblet's younger than a year when she says Dada."

"Hey, what about her saying Mama first?" Catherine teased.

His eyes lit with excitement. "The book said most babies say Dada first." As he said it, he searched her face and, clearly concerned some leftover hormone-induced tears might surface at the thought of Niblet saying his name before hers, quickly added, "It's easier to pronounce and …" but stopped when she full-on laughed.

"I know. I'm busting you." She patted her belly. "Whatever you say first is fine with Mommy."

"Good," he said, looking relieved and happy.

"But …" she glanced at him mischievously, "we're gonna work on it being Mama."

"You do that," he teased back with a smile and the familiar look of exhilaration at a competition lit his face. "'But it's gonna be Dada, right, Niblet?"

They shared a long-familiar grin and a competition ignited.

"That sure, hmm? Okay, we'll see."

He held out his hand and she grasped it. "You're on, Rollins."

"Ha! Challenge accepted, McGarrett."

He leaned against her tummy, cupped his hands and said, "Dada, this is Dada. We'll work on _that_ , okay?" Placing a kiss on her belly he straightened and, taking a swallow of iced tea, smiled confidently.

She rolled her eyes. "Her first word may be Cammie, then what?" The dog pricked her ears at her name and Catherine snorted.

"Then maybe our brilliant, beautiful, perfect daughter will grow up to be a vet and work with the K-9 corps."

"Got an answer for everything, huh, McGarrett?"

"Absolutely." He was smiling ear to ear. "Now, let's eat. You need your protein." He pointed between her smiling face and her tummy. "Both of you."

She sipped her lemonade while he removed the chicken from the oven and plated it. "He's gonna be worse when she's actually here, you know that, right?" she stage whispered to the dog.

"He's gonna be the the luckiest guy ever, times three," he said and Catherine grinned at his inclusion of Cammie. "Even though I'll be outnumbered by women on movie nights."

"Uh uh, actually, we'll be even."

He furrowed his brow in question.

Catherine's smile grew, even as her eyes dampened at the expression of unbridled joy that accompanied her husband's laugh at her retort.

"You'll be outnumbered by women, and I'll be outnumbered ..." she pointed between Steve and her belly with huge smile, "by McGarretts."

 _# End_

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